


Together

by QuietCatastrophe



Series: United [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU where Cedric lives, Fluff, Like seriously whenever there isn't fighting it's just pure fluff, M/M, mild slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2019-07-18 04:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16110914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietCatastrophe/pseuds/QuietCatastrophe
Summary: "I think we should work together.""Excuse me?" Harry was taken aback. He'd thought Cedric had been annoyed at him for stealing the limelight from Hufflepuff, even if it had been entirely unintentional."I think we should work together to solve the tasks- so Hogwarts has a better chance of winning. It doesn't matter whether you or I actually win, as long as the school wins, right?"--Instead of Harry and Cedric competing individually, what if they were to work together to solve the tasks? What if that teamwork were to lead to a realization in both of the boys, and the spark of something more than friendship?





	1. The Beginning

Sparks shot from the goblet as the fire changed its vivid hue. Dumbledore plucked the scrap of paper out of the air and he held it in front of his face to read the name written upon its surface.

_"Harry Potter."_

* * *

He could remember the sound of his name as if it had only just happened, rather than over a week prior. The worst part? No one seemed to believe that he didn't put his name in the goblet. How could he have? They'd all seen what happened to Fred and George- Harry clearly didn't have a beard. Besides, what spell or potion did any of the fourth years know that would even remotely have a chance of working against Dumbledore's magic? He certainly couldn't name any.

With only two weeks left until the first task, Harry was starting to feel sorely underprepared. He had no idea what they'd be facing, or what trials they'd have to do. Hermione and Ron didn't know any more than he did, so they weren't much help past emotional support. The three of them were on their way down to lunch when he heard someone call his name.

"Harry!" It was Cedric, weaving through the hoard of students that had flooded the hall. Harry dismissed Ron and Hermione, telling them he'd catch up with them in the great hall.

"Hello, Cedric. Did you need something?"

"Yes, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute." When Harry gave him a look as if to say 'go on', Cedric shook his head and glanced over his shoulder. "Not here. In private. It will only be a moment."

"Oh, alright, lead the way." The younger of the two followed close behind as Cedric started weaving through the crowd again, finally ducking into an empty classroom. Harry hovered near the professor's desk while Cedric closed the door with a soft click, turning to him after a moment.

"I think we should work together."

"Excuse me?" Harry was taken aback. He'd thought Cedric had been annoyed at him for stealing the limelight from Hufflepuff, even if it had been entirely unintentional.

"I think we should work together to solve the tasks- so Hogwarts has a better chance of winning. It doesn't matter whether you or I actually win, as long as the school wins, right?"

"Yeah, I s'pose so. Are you sure you want to work as a team? I thought we were supposed to figure the tasks out without help." Then again, how likely was it that Krum or Fleur weren't going to get help from their friends or even their headmaster or mistress? "Alright, maybe we can work together a little... Do you have any clue what the first task is going to be about?"

"Unfortunately, no. But if I find anything out, I'll tell you. You'll keep me informed too, right?"

"Right, I'll tell you if I hear anything." Harry nodded slowly, still not totally convinced that this was a good idea. What if they got caught? Would they be disqualified? It wouldn't be good if Hogwarts was completely out of the running. "We should get going, people are bound to be wondering where we are."

"Alright, I'll see you around." Cedric made his way to the door, stopping with his hand on the knob. "Oh! One more thing." He turned halfway to look back at Harry, an apologetic flush tinting his cheeks. "Sorry about all the jeers from everyone. I'll try and get them to lay off a bit." With that, the older boy slipped out of the room and melted into the last dregs of the crowd. Harry followed not long after, wanting to tell his friends what had just happened.

* * *

"So he asked to work together, just like that?" Ron spoke through a mouthful of Yorkshire pudding, meaning each word was muffled and hard to understand.

"Ron, keep your voice down. They're not supposed to work together, remember?" Hermione chastised in her own hushed tone, glancing at Harry. "Really though, it feels a bit odd that he offered so soon before the first task. Did he seem genuine or was he trying to get the best of you?"

"He seemed to mean it, from what I can tell. Said he just wanted to make sure one of us won it for Hogwarts." Harry shrugged, prodding his pork pie with a fork. "I said I'd do it, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see whether he meant it. It won't matter whether we're teamed up or not if we still don't know what we're preparing for, though." Still, his nerves had lessened from before his chat with Cedric. At least now he wasn't completely on his own in this. He had another person to work with, and not to mention the fact that Cedric was in his sixth year and would know things that neither Ron nor Hermione would. Maybe this arrangement would actually turn out for the best.

Harry looked up just in time to catch Cedric's eye over Ron's shoulder, the older boy flashing him a reassuring smile. Yeah, it seemed like agreeing to work with Cedric was a good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has any feedback, I'd love to hear it! This is my first attempt writing fanfiction, so I hope I'm doing alright so far.


	2. Dragons

The next time Harry and Cedric spoke was that Sunday. After a full day of being taunted for Rita Skeeter's article, he was hoping for a break from it. Harry felt bad that the article hadn't mentioned the other champion even once and wondered whether Cedric would hold it against him. He didn't say any of the things Rita Skeeter had printed, and he wanted nothing more than for one person to just leave him alone, or to believe him. Ron still wasn't talking to him, so other than Hermione he had no one on his side. 

They met in the same classroom as before, just before dinner. He arrived first, Cedric showing up a minute later with a smile that Harry was happy to return. Cedric didn't look angry, that was a good sign. If he were annoyed, he wouldn't be smiling.

"Evening, Harry." Cedric perched on the edge of one of the desks, Harry mimicking by leaning against another. "Any news? I haven't heard anything about the first task, and we're cutting it a bit close." 

"No, sorry, I haven't got anything either." Harry frowned and shrugged one shoulder, his worries about being unprepared starting to flare back up. Cedric must have been able to read it on his face because the older teen quickly changed subjects.

"Have you seen that Rita woman's article?" Admittedly the new topic wasn't much better than the last, but at least it was successful in distracting Harry from the upcoming task. "So, you and Hermione, hm?" Cedric offered him a polite smile, tilting his head to one side in question.

"No- we're not- Rita's a liar. None of that stuff is even a little true." Harry let out an indignant huff before realizing he was getting defensive over nothing, flushing a dusty shade of red. "Sorry, people have just been bugging me about it since yesterday. It's not like she treated you any better, that article should've been about you, not me."

"Don't worry about it, really. I don't mind, I'm not sure I want her type of publicity anyway. My father probably wasn't happy, but it doesn't matter to me all that much." The Hufflepuff let out a soft laugh, the sound of which immediately made Harry relax. Cedric really wasn't upset and he believed him about the article, he definitely felt that working with Cedric was a great idea. Hopefully they'd be able to become good friends by the end of the year, it would be nice to keep talking to Cedric even after the tournament was over. "We should try to meet up at least once before the next task, even if neither of us figure anything out. Just for some last 'good lucks' and whatnot."

"Oh, right, that's a good idea. Did you have a day in mind?"

"Well, are you planning to go to Hogsmeade? We could meet up at the Three Broomsticks, you're welcome to bring your friends."

"I'm not sure if I'll go yet with all the buzz going on, but if I do I think that would be nice." Harry grinned at Cedric, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Well, we should go, I'm not allowed to be out in the halls much longer. I'll see you next weekend, if all goes well."

"See you then, Harry." Cedric patted him on the shoulder before leaving, Harry heading down the hall in the opposite direction to get to the Gryffindor dorms. 

He and Hermione did end up going to Hogsmeade, though he stayed covered in his invisibility cloak as to not draw unwanted attention to himself. When they stopped to get a butterbeer in the pub, Harry spotted Cedric and perked up. While he couldn't go and get his attention on his own given the circumstances, he convinced Hermione to fetch him for a word. The two pretended to chat while Harry said hello to Cedric and they wished each other luck before Cedric returned to his friends. Not long after, he spotted Hagrid and Professor Moody, the former telling him to visit later that night. What could it all be about? It wasn't the first time Hagrid had invited him to visit, but it was usually all three of them, and Hermione had been standing right there. She merely shrugged at him after the teachers had left, clearly feeling just as confused as Harry. He also had plans to talk to Sirius, so he had to be careful not to be too late.  

* * *

..Dragons. Of course the task had to be something so dangerous, even though Dumbledore had assured them they'd be safe. Harry had no idea how to get past a dragon, their hide was too thick for any spell he was capable of to penetrate. That wasn't what mattered at the moment, though, he had to go tell Cedric about what he'd seen. Harry was up and dressed before anyone else in the Gryffindor dorms, slipping quietly through the halls towards the Hufflepuff common room. He didn't know how to get in, however, so instead he went to the great hall to impatiently wait for the Hufflepuff's quidditch captain to make an appearance. He hardly touched his food while he waited, only eating a piece of toast and half an orange. The moment Cedric walked into the room (thankfully alone), Harry got to his feet to quickly head him off before he could sit down. 

"Cedric, I need a word. It's  _very_ important." Cedric clearly understood what he meant, slightly wide-eyed as he murmured an okay and followed Harry back out through the doors and into a quieter hallway. "I know what the first task is- we have to get past a dragon, they have one for each of us. I don't know exactly what we're supposed to do, but I saw them." Cedric looked as if he didn't believe him for a moment but his expression quickly changed into one more resolute and accepting. 

"Alright, thanks for telling me, we'll need to get together and plan. Meet me tonight at 11 outside the Hufflepuff dorms, we'll figure out where to go from there. Use your cloak so you won't be caught, okay?" Harry nodded once in response, making a mental note. He'd tell Hermione when she woke up and they could look in the library for anything that could help, then he'd plan with Cedric. This would work, it had to.

"Okay, I'll see you then." The two boys parted ways, Cedric going for breakfast and Harry heading back to the dorms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to give me some feedback!


	3. The First Task

Harry had spent every second of his free time during the day in the library with Hermione, both fourth-years scouring at least a dozen books in a desperate attempt to find anything useful on dragons. Even after all of that, they still didn't manage to find anything all that helpful. The books just reaffirmed everything that Harry already knew; his spells would be absolutely useless. Unless he had some sort of revelation with Cedric, he'd be completely unprepared to take on the first task. It finally came time to go back to the Gryffindor common rooms and Harry found himself eagerly anticipating meeting up with Cedric an hour later. On their way back to the Fat Lady's portrait, however, Professor Moody intercepted them and focused his non-magical eye on Harry.

"Potter, I need to talk to you. Off you go, Granger." Hermione shot Harry a wary look before continuing towards the common room, quickly disappearing from sight. "I know you've told Diggory about the dragons," Moody started, and those words were enough to send a wave of fear racing through the very core of his being. Harry shouldn't have known about the dragons, not to mention they weren't supposed to work with anyone else. He was dreading Moody's next words, looking away as to not meet the man's eyes. "It was a very decent thing to do. Now, d'you have a plan to get past the dragons?

"Er- no, I don't. I haven't got a clue."

"Well, what are you good at?"

"Quidditch? That's not going to help, though. I'm only allowed my wand." Harry didn't understand why Moody nodded at him as if he'd just solved a particularly tricky riddle, quidditch wouldn't help him if he wasn't allowed a broom.

"Come on, put two and two together. It's a real simple spell." Harry thought for a moment, trying to figure out how he'd get his broom to him during the task. Hold on-  _Accio_! He perked up as soon as he thought of it, seeing Moody smile lopsidedly at him. "There you go, you got it. Now, run along." Harry quickly made his way to the dorms, climbing in through the hole behind the painting and grinning at Hermione. She wasn't the only one still awake so he didn't say anything, but it was clear by his expression that he'd figured out what he needed to do. Now all he needed was practice.

* * *

At 11, he met up with Cedric just as planned. The older teen was waiting for him just outside the entrance to the Hufflepuff commons, looking around every few seconds to make sure no one was coming. Harry cleared his throat once he had approached, shifting his cloak to reveal his face. 

"Cedric, it's me. I have somewhere in mind, no one will be able to find us. Come on." Cedric had to crouch to make sure that the cloak properly covered them both, Harry leading the way to the one-eyed witch statue. The passage wasn't big enough to properly practice any sort of duelling spells, but it was private enough to talk and do minor charms without getting caught. He checked his map when they got there to make sure no one was nearby, bringing Cedric into the passage once he was confident that the coast was clear. 

"Lumos." Harry held up his lit wand as he pulled the cloak off of them, smiling at Cedric. "I've figured out what I'm going to do. I'm going to summon my broom... I just need a lot of practice." His smile fell a little when he realized that he was rubbish at the summoning charm. How was he supposed to summon his broom, a fairly large object, from so far away?

"Well, I'll help you. I know what I'm going to do, too. I'm going to transfigure something to distract it, and I'm pretty good at that, so we can spend a while helping you to get better." The taller boy placed a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be able to get it."

After an hour or two with Cedric, Harry had definitely been starting to get it. Still, he could definitely use a little more time. He'd have to get Hermione to help him a bit more that evening. 

"Thanks for helping me out, Cedric. Really, I don't know if I would've been ready on time otherwise." 

"Hey, I'm glad I could help. I'll see you on Tuesday, yeah?"

"Yeah. Come on, let's get going, it's late." A short walk under the cloak back to the Hufflepuff entrance and some hushed goodbyes before Harry made his way to his dorm, falling asleep the second his head hit the pillow.

* * *

Tuesday finally rolled around and Harry couldn't help but worry about the first test. He had no appetite so he barely ate anything, which did nothing to help the shakiness of his knees as Professor McGonagall led him out to join the other champions in a tent. When he entered he saw just how nervous the others were, but Cedric's soft smile made some of his worries ease. He'd prepared the best he could, he shouldn't worry now. Ludo Bagman came in, but his explanation all blended together in his memory. When it came time for each of them to pick an object from the silk bag he held, Harry felt as though he could have been sick. Cedric would be going first, followed by Fleur and Krum. He'd be going last, and facing the most dangerous dragon, just his luck. When Bagman called him outside and offered him advice, Harry was quick to deny. He didn't want to get help from him, he had a plan and it wouldn't be fair to the others if he had one of the judges on his side. He passed Cedric on his way back to the tent, the two boys nodding to each other in a gesture of good luck. Waiting was torture. He could hear the crowd's reaction to Cedric, every collective gasp, scream, or comment of 'ooh, close call' from Bagman made him wonder if his new friend had gotten hurt. Sure, it was supposed to be safer than the tournament used to be, but what if there was an accident? Before long the other two had also gone out with similar reactions from the crowd, and then it was finally time for him to go.

His legs felt like jello as he walked out to the arena, meeting eyes with the dragon over at the other end of the enclosure. He could feel hundreds of eyes on him, but none of that mattered at that moment. Harry took a deep breath, clearing his brain. He had to focus, and...

 _"Accio Firebolt!"_ His voice rang clear and loud and Harry waited for his broom to come, but when nothing happened for a moment he was worried it hadn't worked. Then he heard it, the whistle of the broom behind him and it stopped next to him as he climbed on. Once he was in the air, it was like his fear melted away. He was back in his element, it was where he was most comfortable. With a bit of fancy flying, he managed to get the Horntail to move just enough to snag the golden egg and fly to safety, barely able to feel the gash on his shoulder through the adrenaline rushing through him.

He could see professor McGonagall, Moody, and Hagrid waving him over, landing in front of them and feeling a wave of pride at the praise. He was directed to the first aid tent, stepping inside. When he saw Cedric's shadow upright and okay, a weight was lifted off his shoulders that he didn't even know was there. After Madam Pomfrey went to check on Cedric, Harry turned to leave but was stopped by Hermione and Ron. The sight of his red-haired friend made him smile, and making up with Ron lifted yet another weight off his shoulders.

"You did great, Harry. I snuck out to watch while she was helping Fleur." Harry turned to see Cedric, a bit bandaged but looking alright. He grinned as Cedric wrapped one arm around his shoulders, the side-hug quickly joined by his other friends as well. 

"I wish I could've seen your round, you'll have to tell me all about it." 

"I will, later. Now go on, go see your score." Cedric nudged Harry towards the entrance to the tent, smiling at him as the trio walked back out into the sunlight. Later... Harry would be looking forward to that.


	4. A Drink and a Dance

After the first task, Harry and Cedric kept meeting up every few days. At first the meetings were about trying to figure out the second clue, neither of them had the slightest inkling about what they were supposed to learn from an egg that only screeched horribly when opened and never did anything else. They didn't make much progress, which definitely wasn't helped by the fact that after the second time it stopped being about the upcoming task and instead just developed into them getting to know each other. Cedric told him about his dad, Harry chattered about what it was like living with the Dursleys, he learned that Cedric planned on being a Healer once he graduated, among so many other things. 

Before their fifth meeting, Harry stopped by the kitchens to ask a favour of Dobby. The elf was clearly happy to see him, beaming up at him the moment he stepped in.

"Dobby is so happy to see Harry Potter, sir! Can Dobby get you anything, sir?"

"Actually, er- yes, I'm spending a bit of time with a friend later, I was wondering if I could get something to take with me." Harry could feel traces of heat rising into his cheeks, though he wasn't sure why. He'd met with Cedric before and he'd told Ron and Hermione all about it, so why was he getting flustered telling Dobby of all people? 

"Of course sir, right away!" Dobby looked back at some of the other elves and almost immediately a few were filling a small basket and carrying it over. "Here, sir, for you and your friend."

"Thanks, Dobby. I've got to get going, but I'll visit soon." He smiled gratefully at the house elf, turning to head back out into the corridor and go get Cedric.

* * *

"So, what's in the basket?" They'd finally gotten settled in the same hidden passage as always but Cedric's voice still caught him off guard.

"Oh- well, since we're always out so late I thought it might be nice to have something to eat, but I don't actually know exactly what's in it." He shrugged, setting the basket down to check inside, finding a few bottles of butterbeer and various sweets. "Would you like a drink?"

"Sure, that would be nice, thanks." The two of them sat against the wall, each popping open a bottle to sip at. Like always, they just sat and talked. Harry found that he quite enjoyed spending time like this with Cedric, one-on-one, no one to interrupt or judge them. Sure, he'd had secret conversations with Ron and Hermione but they just weren't... the same. He didn't feel the same way with them but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what was different.

"So, what's sixth year like?" He bit into a treacle tart as he looked at Cedric, smiling softly to himself.

"It's not all that different, but we've started preparing for our N.E.W.T.s already. You'll get a taste of that next year with your O.W.L.s. They're intense, but not as bad as everyone says." Cedric took a swig of his drink, lifting one shoulder in a half-shrug. "You'll do just fine, trust me." 

They talked until all the food was gone, leaving the basket for Dobby and going back to their respective dorms.

* * *

The news of the upcoming Yule Ball weighed on him. It wouldn't be too bad if he could just go and hang out with his friends, but he had to find a date and he didn't know who to ask. Perhaps he could ask Cho, she was nice and fairly pretty. However, just like the other girls who had asked him, the idea of going with any of them didn't feel quite right. He could only imagine what it would be like for the other champions. Fleur, Krum and Cedric were all older and rather good-looking, they must be getting a hundred more requests than he was. He only had a week left to find a date, but the act of asking a girl seemed more daunting than facing a dragon.

On the way to potions with Ron and Hermione, the trio was stopped when someone came up and tapped Harry on the shoulder from behind. He turned to come face-to-face with Cedric, who looked much more nervous and pink than normal. 

"Er- hello, Cedric."

"Hello, Harry, could I have a word?" Harry nodded and the pair walked off to the side of the hall, Harry looking expectantly at the older student. "Well, you see, I was, well.."

"Yes?"

"Well I was wondering if you'd like to be my date. To the Yule Ball, I mean." Harry thought he'd mistaken Cedric's words for a moment, wide green eyes blinking up at the older boy. "If you don't want to, that's alr-"

"Okay." 

"Excuse me?" It was Cedric's turn to look shocked, but Harry was beaming. The idea of going to the dance with Cedric felt right, and he was honestly a touch giddy.

"I said okay, I'll go to the dance with you." 

"Oh, that's- that's great! Well, we both ought to get to class, but I'll see you later." Cedric was grinning now as well, blushing up to his ears.

"See you then."

The two turned to go their separate ways and Harry couldn't erase his grin if he tried. Ron and Hermione didn't have to ask what Cedric wanted, they knew the second they saw Harry's red, delighted face.


	5. A Ball to Remember

Despite being elated that Cedric had asked to accompany him to the dance, Harry found himself more nervous than before. Sure, he no longer had to worry about finding a date, but going with someone he didn't care for would've been much easier than worrying about disappointing someone he wanted to get closer to. He found himself worrying about frivolous things that would have never normally crossed his mind, like how he looked in his dress robes or the fact that he didn't actually know how to dance. Of course, Ron had his own issues to worry about since he was yet to find a date, so Harry went to Hermione.

"Please, Hermione, I need your help."

"This means a lot to you, hm?"

"You have no idea." Harry was seriously considering begging if Hermione wouldn't help.

"Alright, alright, meet me in the library during lunch."

"You're a life saver, Hermione. I owe you one."

That's how, two days before the dance, Harry found himself practicing basic dance steps with Hermione. They covered a few different styles, including two variations of the waltz and a normal slow dance. He still didn't feel quite ready when they finished, but at least he was sure that he wouldn't trod on Cedric's feet. That was one of his worries soothed, at the very least. Now he'd just have to make sure his robes fit right. 

* * *

After days of fretting about it, the Yule Ball was upon them. He and Ron got dressed in their robes, Harry suppressing a snicker as Ron made a few last-minute changes in a desperate attempt to make his look a bit more dignified. They went down to the common room so Ron could meet up with Parvati, who he'd asked only the day before. Both boys looked around for Hermione, shooting each other a look when she was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Hermione?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't seen her since after lunch." 

Parvati joined them a moment later, frowning at Harry when she saw he was alone.

"Harry, are you going with someone? Padma's available if you need a date."

"No, no that's alright, I'm going with someone. We should get going or we'll be late." Heat rose to his cheeks, tinting them a vibrant scarlet. 

The trio made their way down to the Great Hall, lingering outside the doors with the rest of the students. Harry tried to spot Cedric but he couldn't see him over the heads of the older students. 

"Champions over here, please!" Professor McGonagall's voice broke through the chatter and Harry waved a little goodbye to Ron and Parvati as he made his way over to join Fleur, Krum, and their dates. Cedric wasn't there and Harry frowned, thinking of all the bad reasons Cedric might possibly be absent. He was broken out of his thoughts when he happened to glance at the girl with Krum, choking on his breath when he saw who it was.

"Hermione?"

"Yeah, I told you I had a date." She smiled, poking fun at Harry.

"Potter, where is your partner?" McGonagall cast a wary eye on him and he almost felt like shrinking under it, managing to keep his composure. He opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by feeling a warm hand on his shoulder, glancing up to see Cedric. He looked great, dressed up in sleek black dress robes with a black bowtie, the sight stole Harry's breath away from him.

"Here, Professor. Sorry I'm late." The other champions looked shocked at the revelation but if Harry wasn't mistaken, McGonagall was smiling knowingly at the two of them.

"Very well. You can head inside now- the first dance is after the end of dinner." With that the champions, Hermione, and Roger Davies all made their way inside. Heads turned for two reasons, half to stare in surprise at Hermione, the rest to make sure the the sight of Harry and Cedric walking arm-in-arm wasn't some sort of trick of the light. They made their way to the table with the judges, each taking a seat next to their dates. Once Dumbledore demonstrated how serving worked, everyone ordered their meals to their plates and started to eat.

"Sorry I was late, I was trying to figure out how to transfigure this." Cedric's face was pink as he held up a rose, the petals feather-soft and white with faint brown stripes. "It's not perfect but I hope you like it, I made it out of a quill."

"It's brilliant, thanks Cedric." If Harry were any redder, he'd blend into the Gryffindor flag. He gratefully took the rose and tucked it into his breast pocket, grinning like an idiot. No one else had ever been able to make him feel so light and warm, as if he could float away at any moment. He wouldn't trade that feeling for the world. 

* * *

After dinner and a few dances, Cedric and Harry took a moment to catch their breath and get a drink. Anyone looking in from the outside would see Harry looking happier than he'd ever been, both of them laughing as they talked with wild hand gestures. Cedric had an expression of pure adoration, grey eyes shining bright and fond at Harry. Cedric threw his head back in a laugh, spotting something above them. He tapped Harry on the shoulder and pointed up, Harry looking up and spotting it as well.

"Mistletoe?" As he lowered his head to look back at Cedric, the older boy dipped down to gently kiss him and Harry realized that the magic he'd been taught was nothing compared to that moment. 


	6. Hogsmeade and Hagrid

The week after the Yule Ball had been amazing. Harry couldn't even be bothered to get upset over the gossip about him and Cedric's sudden relationship. Ron and Hermione playfully gibed at him, the three of them having a good laugh over it. He kept the quill-rose until it started to wilt, tucking one of the petals into a book as a keepsake before reluctantly binning the rest. When a notice went up a week into January about the next Hogsmeade weekend, it was less than a day before Cedric found him in the halls and asked if he'd like to spend some time together. Obviously his answer was an enthusiastic yes, which earned him another one of those brain-melting smiles. 

Ron had filled him and Hermione in about what he'd overheard Hagrid say to Madam Maxime, but Harry was still surprised that Professor Grubbly-Plank had to fill in more than one or two days. Hagrid must be more upset by the rejection than he'd thought and he wished he could cheer him up but Hagrid never answered the door when the trio tried to visit. Rita's article had been an atrocious amalgamation of lies and insults, as always, and it had definitely put a damper on Harry's mood. 

* * *

When it was finally time to go to Hogsmeade, Harry met up with Cedric in the line snaking its way towards Filch. The grey-eyed boy grinned and offered him his hand, Harry accepting after a moment with a faint blush. They'd never held hands before, and he could feel at least a dozen sets of eyes on them as they got their names checked by Filch before heading out to the village. Strangely enough, he didn't care who watched, the simple gesture affection was worth it. 

"Is there anything specific you'd like to do while we're there?" Cedric looked down at Harry, clearly waiting to see what he said.

"Oh, no, I was thinking we could just wander around a bit? Unless there was something you wanted to do."

"Well, I think it would be nice to stop and get a coffee, but that can wait until later." When they arrived in Hogsmeade, the new couple took their time strolling around and looking at the storefronts, stopping in one or two. They got an assortment of sweets from Honeydukes, and Cedric bought a handful of quills (Harry had a sneaking suspicion he was trying to perfect a certain transfiguration).

Around noon the pair decided to beat the bone-deep chill by stopping for coffee like Cedric had suggested, Harry followed his lead until they arrived at a garish little shop with 'Madam Puddifoot's' in cursive written above their heads. Cedric seemed happy at the sight and had clearly been there before, though Harry was a little more hesitant.

"I know it might be a little frillier than what you're used to, but it's a cozy little place. She makes good cake." He led Harry inside, the two finding a two-top against the wall. The shop was host to the odd couple, though mainly the tables were filled with groups of giggling girls who preferred the cute atmosphere to that of the Three Broomsticks. Before long a stout woman with black hair came over, both boys requesting a coffee and Cedric asking for a slice of whatever cake was her favourite. She returned with just that, two porcelain cups of coffee and a plate with a large piece of white and red peppermint cake, accompanied by a set of forks. Harry realized the implication and was about to say they only needed one, when Cedric nudged the cake to sit between them with a smile. He couldn't say no to that smile, blaming the heat in his cheeks on warming up from the cold. 

* * *

After a nice while in the cozy, warm shop, they decided to take their leave and wander a bit more before heading back up to the castle. Just as they stepped outside, however, a pair of familiar voices called for them. Hermione and Ron walked briskly to get to them, red-cheeked from the crisp, cold shock of the air.

"Harry, Cedric, good to see you- we were about to check the pub to see if Hagrid's there, care to join us?" Harry knew his answer but he didn't just want to drag Cedric along. The black-haired boy looked up, getting a small reaffirming nod from Cedric.

"Yeah, we'll come. It'll be nice to see him out and about, if he's there." With that, the four of them made their way to the Three Broomsticks, stepping inside. A quick glance around told them Hagrid wasn't present, but they did spot a familiar face. "What's Ludo Bagman doing here?" Before anyone had a chance to answer him, Bagman had spotted him and quickly gotten to his feet. The man crossed over, shooting them a cheeky grin.

"Harry, how good to see you! I hope you're doing well. I'd like to have a private word, if that's alright with your friends?" He directed the latter half of his sentence at the three teenagers accompanying Harry, all of whom merely shrugged in half-hearted approval, Hermione murmuring something about finding a table and getting drinks. He followed Bagman down the bar for a chat.

By the time the two were done talking, the Weasley twins had shown up and his friends had already settled into a table and were chatting with Cedric. When Harry sat down they all looked at him expectantly, clearly waiting to hear what Bagman had wanted.

"Two things. One, I found out Crouch is missing, which is why goblins are everywhere, and he offered me help with the egg." Before Ron could ask why, Harry kept talking. "He said that he just wanted Hogwarts to win, but when I asked him if he'd offered Cedric help he got all shifty and said he'd just taken a liking to me." He looked at Cedric with a little smile, laughing under his breath. "At least it seems like no one's figured out we're working together." The two laced their fingers together out of habit; they'd spent nearly the whole day holding hands, it was comforting. It did earn them a playful raised eyebrow from Hermione and a teasing smirk from Ron but neither were enough to deter them.

"Uh oh..." Ron's face had fallen and he was looking over Harry's shoulder at the door, making the other three look over as well to see what it was about. Rita Skeeter, dressed in an awful shade of yellow, had just entered while chatting with her cameraman about Ludo Bagman. Remembering her article on Hagrid, Harry felt his blood boil and the next second he was shouting.

"Hey, trying to ruin someone else's life now?" He didn't care that people were looking and it seemed as though Rita Skeeter cared just as little about what he'd said.

"Ah, Harry, how wonderful! Care if we join you?" Before the students had a chance to answer, the two adults had pulled empty chairs from the next table over and sat down. 

"Why'd you have to write such awful things about Hagrid? Who cares if he's a half giant? He's never done anything to you!" The other patrons had gone silent, Rita's smile flickering for a millisecond before she was whipping out he Quick-Quotes Quill.

"Care to give me a few words about the real Hagrid, then?"

"You're awful! First Hagrid, now Ludo Bagman, you'd do anything for a story!" Hermione was on her feet in a moment, Rita Skeeter's eyes narrowed coldly at her. "Let's go, guys."

"You'd best not meddle in things you know nothing about, little girl." Before the woman could say anything worse, the four of them were on their feet and heading out. Cedric wrapped an arm around Harry to try and calm him, the group stepping outside. 

"You'll be on her black list now Hermione, just watch," Ron warned, frowning at her. "She'll go after you next."

* * *

 When they got back to Hogwarts, Cedric had departed to work on homework after a quick hug goodbye that left Harry just a bit more pink than justifiable from the weather. Now alone, the trio marched down to Hagrid's home, ready to put an end to his moping and convince him to come back to teaching. It seemed as though Professor Dumbledore had a similar idea, already in Hagrid's hut when they arrived. With the eager assurances from the three students that Hagrid was a good teacher and they'd miss him, Dumbledore managed to persuade the half-giant to return to his position rather than resign altogether.

All in all, it wasn't such a bad day. Harry had had a pleasant morning with Cedric, a bit of a bump in the road after lunch, sure, but Hagrid would be teaching once more and Harry considered that a win. Now they just had to prepare for Rita to write a bitter, falsified account of something Hermione had done. Her revenge would be manageable, hopefully. Even if it was worse than they thought, they'd work through it together.


	7. A Rather Pleasant Bath

When classes resumed after the Hogsmeade weekend, Harry was reminded of the second task. With only a little more than a month to plan, he knew they had to get on it soon or risk being left confused and unsure what to do when the time came. Neither he nor Cedric knew what to do with their egg- or at least, that was the case until Wednesday. On his way to his first class, Harry spotted Cedric waiting for him outside the Charms classroom. He shot the older teen a confused look, walking over and shooting Cedric a second, more questioning glance.

"Hey, Harry. I just wanted to let you know that I don't think we can hang out at our normal spots today. I'm going to take a bath after dinner instead, around 8- the prefect's room on the fifth floor is nice, you should try it,  _really_. Maybe I'll see you there sometime." If Harry had been at all unclear by what Cedric was implying, it was cleared up when he muttered in a soft voice, "Password is Pine-fresh, bring your egg." As if they'd had nothing but a friendly chat between friends, Cedric walked away with a smile to head to his next class. Thankfully it seemed as though no one cared enough to notice or listen in, various groups chattering amongst themselves.

* * *

Harry did what he had been instructed, showing up to the prefect's bathroom at a few minutes past the hour. His golden egg was tucked into his schoolbag, tapping against his hip with every step. When he got to the door he glanced both ways to make sure no one would see him sneak in, clearing his throat before murmuring the password. It worked and he stepped inside, quickly looking the other way and flushing red all the way down his neck when he saw Cedric was already in the water, a thick layer of scented foam and bubbles hid him from the chest down but the idea was still embarrassing.

"Oh, good, you came. I got a tip about the eggs from, well, from Moaning Myrtle. She said that we needed to listen underwater, I haven't actually tried yet though. You can come in if you'd like, the water's nice, but it's up to you." Harry considered his options, finally deciding that there was enough coverage that as long as he kept a bit of distance, it wouldn't be that much difference than going swimming with someone else, and there was nothing wrong with that. Cedric looked away to give him privacy as he undressed and slid into the water, staying about 5 feet from Cedric for decency's sake.

"So she just said to listen to it underwater?"

"That's right, though he paraphrased a bit." Both boys jumped at the sudden female voice, turning to see Myrtle near one of the many taps. "Isn't this quite the show, two boys in the bath at once." She smiled and hummed in a way that made Harry shiver, deciding to stay nice since he knew how... moody she was.

"Well, I guess that's what we ought to do, then." Both boys seemed to have the same idea, turning so they were facing opposite directions before dipping below the surface and opening their eggs. In near-unison, the two eggs started singing the instructions for the next task. They certainly sounded much more pleasant below the water than above it, no one could deny. When the message was finished, Harry and Cedric resurfaced to take in some air. 

"Did you take that the same way I did? They're going to take something dear to us and hide it, then we've got an hour to get it back?" Harry nodded in response to Cedric's summary, getting the same meaning from the song.

"I think... I think that it'll be underwater. It said where their voices sound, right? Well, we can only hear them underwater."

"You've got a point, I suppose we should start looking up ways to breathe underwater for at least an hour, then. I've got a few in mind, we'll go over them later. Meet me Friday, in the library. Maybe take another bath before then to make sure the song doesn't change, I'll do the same."

The boys took turns getting out and dressed, Harry turning away from Cedric and waiting for him to exit the room before getting out himself. He had to tell Ron and Hermione about the egg.

* * *

Doing as Cedric recommended, Harry went back the next day to double-check that the song stayed the same. It had, but that was by no means the surprise of the night. No, he'd nearly had a run in with Filch and Snape, Moody only coming across by coincidence in time to stop them from discovering him hidden under the cloak. In thanks he gave up the Marauder's Map so Moody could borrow it, it wasn't like he needed it anyway. He'd write to Sirius first thing in the morning to let him know what he'd heard and seen- his godfather would undoubtedly be interested to learn that Crouch, missing for the last few weeks, had been in Snape's office doing who knows what.

* * *

He did just that, sending a letter to Sirius before heading down to breakfast the next morning. He had the meeting with Cedric to look forward to, and it got him through the day much more energetically than normal. They spent most of their time together anyway, but that was different. Now they were working on another task together, it was important and Harry was happy for an excuse to spend more time with his fellow champion.

Classes ended and evening came, Harry walking briskly to join up with Cedric. For an hour they considered the different possibilities for how to survive underwater. Transfiguration, charms, and potions, amongst others. Finally they each settled on one, nodding to each other. 

"I'm going to go with a Bubble-Head Charm. They're simple enough, and reliable if you know how to do one right." Cedric nodded to himself, mulling over his choice. Harry was less sure, none of the things they discussed were things he'd learned how to do.

"Well, I don't have time to learn how to reliably produce a charm or brew a potion, so I think gillyweed is my best bet. There's only one issue, though.. where am I going to get any?"


	8. The Second Task

After several weeks, Harry was sorely wishing that he'd asked Cedric to at least try and teach him the Bubble-Head Charm. He'd convinced himself that it wasn't worth it, that he'd manage to find some gillyweed in time, however it was evident that he was wrong. Exactly a month after he met with Cedric to discuss strategies for the second task, his nerves were spiking. There was only one day left before they'd have to venture underwater and he still had no method of surviving for an hour without air. The only thing that broke up the monotonous drone of wondering where he could get what he needed on such short notice was the sudden appearance of a brown owl at breakfast. He hadn't really been eating so he didn't care when it picked at the toast on his plate, he was just interested in the note. Sirius questioned him about the next Hogsmeade weekend, Harry quickly writing a response with the help of Hermione who had read it with him. They talked about it for a bit before heading off to class, Harry's mind once again fogged with thoughts of the upcoming task.

* * *

The evening before the second task, the trio was brainstorming places they could possibly get gillyweed so late. They had never used it in any potions but all three of them agreed that Snape's office would be the best place to look. However, they also agreed it was too risky. That's how they ended up scouring book after book for alternative options, where Professor McGonagall came and requested Ron and Hermione to follow her out. With promises to meet up later, Harry kept searching, only leaving when Madam Pince kicked him out. Harry brought as many books as he could carry back to the Gryffindor commons, tucking himself away in one of the armchairs. He kept reading long after everyone else had gone to bed, yet he'd still found nothing. After another hour he even snuck back into the library to check some of the books he wasn't able to bring with him. Unfortunately, book after book lulled Harry into a sleep, no alarm to wake him. His dreams were hardly peaceful, filled with annoyances, taunts, and someone poking him.

He woke up to someone jabbing him in the side, grumbling and trying to pull away. 

"Sir, Harry Potter must wake up!"

"Stop poking me.."

"Dobby cannot, sir, Harry Potter needs to wake up! The second task starts in ten minutes and Harry Potter must hurry." That last bit caused him to jolt upright, frantically looking at his watch. Dobby was right, he was going to be late, but.. it didn't really matter, he didn't have a plan.

"Oh, it doesn't matter Dobby, I haven't got anything to do." Dobby hopped up onto the table as Harry pulled off his cloak, tucking it away. 

"You do, sir! Dobby knew Harry Potter didn't find it, so Dobby found it for Harry Potter. Take it and go save your Wheazy, sir!" Dobby held out a clump of slimy vegetation, Harry gasped when he recognized it.

"Is that gillyweed? Wait- what's a Wheazy?"

"What Harry Potter would miss most, sir. Wheazy who is giving Dobby his jumper, sir." Harry was confused for a moment before clambering to his feet, realizing what- or who, to be exact- Dobby was talking about.

"They've got _Ron_? Thanks, Dobby, I owe you one- I've got to go!" Harry took the handful of gillyweed, tucking it into his pocket as he sprinted down to the lakefront as fast as he possibly could, sending a few people sprawling as they jumped out of his way. He splattered the hem of Fleur's robes with mud as he skidded to a stop, panting. 

"I'm here, I'm here..." Cedric looked relieved to see him, shooting him a pointed look as if to ask if he'd found what he needed. Harry offered a shaky nod, pulling the gillyweed out of his pocket to quickly flash it at him. Cedric's smile made him feel a little better, like usual. He didn't hear Percy's snide remark, preoccupied with just how handsome Cedric was when he smiled like that. Soon enough Ludo was spreading them along the bank, he and Cedric at opposite ends of the line, 30 feet between them. That ruined the likelihood of them being able to work together, since they wouldn't even be able to see each other that far away under the murky surface and didn't have time to waste to swim around and hope to bump into each other. Harry kicked off his shoes and peeled off his socks, shedding his outer layer of robes as well. Bagman counted them down and he popped the gillyweed in his mouth, chewing as he waded into the lake. The water was so frigid that it felt fiery-hot, burning him as he swallowed the rubbery mass in his mouth. He could hear laughter as he stood in waist-deep water, waiting for the gillyweed to take affect. Cedric had told him what to expect but no words could prepare him for the feeling of being completely unable to breath. The boy dove under the now much more tolerable water, taking a deep breath through his new gills before swimming off.

* * *

After a brief run-in with a grindylow and a tip from Moaning Myrtle, Harry could hear a familiar song. He followed it until he spotted what they were looking for, still surprised despite being warned that what they were looking for were people. He swam closer to identify to four figures, recognizing Ron and Hermione immediately. It was clear Ron was for him, after the warning from Dobby, so he could only guess that Hermione was Krum's. There was a younger girl with striking resemblance to Fleur, probably her sister, though the last person required him to look a bit closer. Whoever it was, they were who Cedric was looking for. When he finally recognized the girl as Cho Chang, the pretty Seeker for the Ravenclaw team, Harry felt a pang of something bitter and unpleasant in his gut. He ignored it, looking around for something to cut the seaweed ropes with. His first instinct was to borrow a spear from a nearby merperson, though it quickly became clear they wouldn't be helpful. He settled on a jagged rock from the lake bottom, hacking at the seaweed tying Ron down until he came loose. Where were the others? They only had an hour, what was taking them so long? Deciding he wasn't going to just leave the others down here and hope the other champions would show up, he started cutting through Hermione's binding before being yanked away and chastised by the merpeople. 

Harry was starting to worry something had happened to the others when he spotted Cedric swimming closer, the older boy pausing at the sight of him. 

"Come on, Fleur and Krum are coming, let's take these two and get going." Cedric pulled out a knife and cut Cho free, hooking her under the arms and looking at Harry for confirmation. After receiving a small nod, Cedric swam up with Cho, assuming Harry would be right behind him. However, Harry had no intentions on leaving until he made sure the others were safe too. 

Before long the hands on him loosened and he heard a few shrieks, looking around to see a shark-headed boy who could only be Krum. Whether he botched the transfiguration or this was his intended affect, Harry wasn't sure. He jolted in alarm when Krum started biting at the seaweed connected to Hermione, worried he'd accidentally hurt her. Harry swam forward and got his attention, passing Krum the rock. He watched the shark-boy cut her free and swim off, looking around anxiously for Fleur. She was the only one left, where was she?

After a while he couldn't take it anymore, grabbing the rock from where Krum dropped it and narrowing his eyes in frustration when the merpeople blocked him from Ron and the girl. He pulled out his wand, pointing it at them and putting up three fingers. He started counting down and they finally moved, allowing him to hack the girl free before hooking an arm around both of the unconscious bodies and swimming up. It was slow-going, he was a poor swimmer and they significantly weighed him down. Some of the merpeople were swimming with him and he feared what they might do when the time was up. His body was aching and it was getting hard to breathe, yet the surface was getting closer. The pain in his neck intensified and he could no longer breathe, his head swam from lack of oxygen as he made a last push up. Harry broke the surface with a great gasp, feeling Ron and Fleur's sister start to move as they woke up. There were at least a dozen swamp-green heads above the surface with them, smiles all aimed at him. 

"What did you bring her for?" Ron spoke and broke the silence, Harry glancing at the panic-stricken girl in his other arm.

"Fleur didn't show up, I couldn't leave her down there."

"I hope you didn't waste time, you know Dumbledore wouldn't let any of us drown right?" Harry found himself rather embarrassed, of course Dumbledore wouldn't allow anyone to get hurt, why had he been naïve enough to take the song seriously? The two of them swam towards the shore, aiding the younger girl along, accompanied by many of the merfolk like a guard. He could see the others on the shore- Hermione, Krum, and Cho were warming up in thick blanket-like towels, Cedric wrapped in something similar but staring at Harry with a mixture of relief, worry, and something that resembled fear or anger, perhaps a blend of both. When they got closer, he noticed Percy and Fleur as well. The former was white as a ghost, the second in hysterics and calling for her sister, restrained by Madam Pomfrey. He tried to call out that she was okay but his exhaustion stole his voice. Once the trio got closer, Percy waded out to pull Ron to shore and Fleur broke away to come for her sister. He was a bit disappointed that Cedric didn't greet him nearly as warmly, that anger-fear mix much more clear on his face as he approached while Harry was being checked over by Madam Pomfrey.

"You said you were going to follow me- when I looked back and saw you weren't there, I- you have no idea how worried I was, Harry, I thought something had happened to you, that you.. I wanted to go back and find you, but I had to get Cho to the surface. Don't do that to me again, I was nearly scared sick waiting for you, I wasn't allowed to go back down and you were taking so _long._ You didn't have much gillyweed, I thought it had worn off while you were still down there." Harry couldn't tell if it was from the bite of the cool air or if it was from emotion but Cedric looked as though he were tearing up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize.. I couldn't leave them down there, I just couldn't." Harry felt a warm wave of shame rush through him, he had no idea Cedric had been so worried. He was distracted from his guilt by Fleur, who grabbed his arm to turn him a bit and kiss both of his cheeks. He was sure he was a bit pink, surprised.

"You saved 'er, you saved Gabrielle, thank you 'arry." She moved on to Ron, clearly thanking him as well if the kisses were anything to go by. Before Harry could turn back to Cedric, Dumbledore made and announcement. Everyone was silent and still as they announced each score in turn, Harry gasping softly as they announced his. 

"We're tied for first," Harry said happily and smiled at Cedric, who seemed to have gotten past his worry and smiled back. Hermione and Ron descended upon them with a cheer as Cedric swooped down to hug him. After a moment his friends joined in, all four hugging tightly in excitement. He'd have to make things up to Cedric, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy the moment.


	9. Bad News and Love Birds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a filler chapter to get through the part of the book where there's not a whole lot to add on to, you really won't miss much if you choose to skip it.

For a week or so after the second task, everything was going well enough. Ron's birthday passed with the exchanging of gifts and well wishes, with an otherwise uneventful few days bookending it on either side. It seemed that the period of relative ease had gone from fine to great when the small brown owl he'd sent to Sirius made a reappearance, delivering a letter that gave Harry hope of seeing his godfather in the near future. While Ron and Hermione were reasonably worried about him being in Hogsmeade, Harry couldn't help but be in a good mood for the rest of the morning. He'd considered letting Cedric in about Sirius' innocence, but decided it best to at least just keep it between himself, Ron, and Hermione for the time. Once things died down in regards to the search for his godfather, he might reconsider the issue. 

His good mood was halted when they approached Potions to see a gaggle of the Slytherins sniggering and giggling over something unseen, which made the trio feel uneasy. Whenever a group of Slytherins was acting like that, it usually meant trouble. When the cluster spotted them they broke apart, allowing Harry to see what Pansy was holding- a magazine, Witch Weekly if he could read the header correctly. 

"Here, you guys might find it fascinating." She tossed it at Hermione who fumbled before catching it, clearly startled. However, before they got a chance to read it, Snape had made an appearance and ordered them all into the classroom. Ron, Hermione and Harry all exchanged looks before they headed through the door and found their seats. Once they were all settled in, Hermione picked the magazine up again and began to skim the article that had all the Slytherins laughing like hyenas.

"'... _It seems that Harry Potter is smitten for Hermione and using fellow champion Cedric Diggory to cope with his broken heart'_ \- what an utter load of rubbish." Hermione tossed the paper down with a snicker, rolling her eyes. "A double love triangle, really? Rita is losing her touch, if that's the best she can come up with. The whole school saw you with Cedric before I supposedly broke your heart anyway, no one's going to believe this nonsense." 

"I told you she'd go after you, Hermione! I warned you." Ron's words seemed to go unnoticed by Hermione, who simply went back to preparing her potion ingredients. She may have been unfazed by the ridiculous article, but Harry couldn't help but wonder if Cedric had read it. He trusted Cedric to know that he wasn't some rebound, the Hufflepuff was more than smart enough to figure that out.

After a worse than usual Potions class, Harry finally got out and went to tell his friends about what he saw.

* * *

Harry didn't know why he had worried about telling Cedric that he already had plans for the upcoming Hogsmeade trip, the older teen had been completely cool about it and been more than happy to settle for hanging out some other time from what Harry could tell. He made sure to get Cedric a gift while they were shopping, it was the least he could do. Sure, a 'baby's first Golden Snitch' wasn't a great gift, but there was some thought to it- no matter how much Ron teased him over his choice.

After hearing what Sirius had to say, however, Harry wanted to be nowhere but in the quite peace that Cedric's presence brought. Of course he  _wanted_ to tell the older teen about what was going on, especially since it involved the Tournament in a roundabout way and they had promised. Harry knew, though, that if he told Cedric all this new information he would have to tell him where he'd gotten it, and he had already decided to wait when it came to trusting anyone with Sirius' secret, even if it was someone he trusted. It wasn't safe, he couldn't put Sirius or Cedric in danger by sharing that information. So, although reluctantly, Harry kept it all to himself. It was for the best, he couldn't put anyone he cared about at risk like that.

* * *

The youngest champion was up in the Owlery and had just finished sending off the package for Sirius when he heard the door open behind him. Harry let out a brief sigh and mentally cursed his inability to find any peace that day, turning to leave. When he saw who it was, though, the green-eyed boy stopped in his tracks.

"Oh! Cedric, I didn't expect to run into you up here." He got a fond chuckle in return as Cedric crossed over to what was, presumably, his owl, and passed it a letter. 

"I hope it's a pleasant surprise, at least. How was your trip to Hogsmeade with your friends?" It sounded like Cedric was being genuine, and if the older teen was harbouring any negative feelings he was a damn good actor to hide it so well.

"It was..eventful. We went on a walk with a very friendly stray dog, did some shopping. Oh, I got you something, but I don't have it with me. Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is fine, you didn't have to get me anything at all." Cedric's warm smile made it all worth it though, Harry would buy him a million gifts if it meant seeing that smile every day. "You were staring pretty intently out the window when I came in, mind if I join you?" 

"Oh, I wasn't really- I was just zoning out. But you can join me if you want, I guess." Harry shrugged, but not a single complaint crossed his mind when Cedric stepped up to the window with him and draped an arm loosely around the smaller boy's shoulders. For who knows how long they merely stood together in a comfortable silence, watching Hagrid dig a hole. Harry wouldn't change anything about the moment, he loved it just how it was.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have an excuse for my little hiatus, it just slipped my mind, sorry! I'm starting the next chapter as soon as this is posted, so I'll try and make it a two-day update to apologize for making everyone wait so long!


	10. Hate Mail and a Sudden Appearance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a shorter chapter because there wasn't really a better place to break it up for the sake of flow, but the next one should be longer again.

"Hermione got some nasty letters this morning because of Rita's stupid article." Harry frowned a bit and leaned against Cedric's side, relaxed from the familiar weight of the older boy's arm around him. "I wish someone would give her a taste of her own medicine, she deserves it."

"Oh, that's unfortunate- nothing too bad, I hope." Cedric just as well as Ron or Hermione that Rita's story was a bunch of bologna, and he had played an important role in allowing Harry to vent his frustrations about the woman. 

"One envelope was full of bubotuber pus, it got all over her hands. Hagrid warned her not to open any more letters if she keeps getting them, apparently he got some too after Rita's last article." Harry's brow furrowed as a thought crossed his mind and he turned to look up at the other boy. "You haven't gotten any letters, have you?"

"Well, I've gotten a couple, but nothing nearly as bad. Actually it was mostly people concerned about how I was 'letting myself be used'. I just ignored them." Cedric offered him a warm smile that made Harry's insides feel like they had been liquified. It took him a moment to clear his head enough to form a coherent thought, snapping his eyes away from Cedric's face where he'd been staring as a bright blush bloomed across his cheeks. 

"Well, I'm glad you didn't get anything upsetting. I just wish everyone else would realize that everything she says is nonsense, then none of this would happen." He shifted to get a bit more comfortable on the thin blanket covering the dirt floor of the One-Eyed Witch's passage, jolting when he felt a bulge in his pocket. "Oh! I nearly forgot about your gift, here." Harry retrieved the small box from his pocket, covered in scroll paper with hand-drawn stars. "I didn't have any wrapping paper on hand, so I had to make do." The younger of the two handed it over, watching with bated breath as Cedric opened it. The sixth year picked up the little square card inside, turning it over to read it.

"'You're quite the catch.' Well, thank you." Cedric's smile brightened a touch and he set the card aside to look in the box, seeing the fake Snitch and laughing as he realized the card had been a pun. The toy flew up a dozen centimetres or so to hover in place, occasionally shifting side to side a bit. It was technically designed for small children, so it didn't do much, but that wasn't what Cedric cared about.

"It's because of the match last year- the one interrupted by Dementors. It was the first time I really got to know anything about you, I thought it was really admirable that you were willing to give up your win to hold a rematch." 

"I love it, thank you. We'll have to hold our own little rematch sometime, just for fun." Cedric leaned down to press a gentle kiss to Harry's forehead, grinning as the latter flushed a bright red. He found Harry outright adorable when he got flustered. It was clear that the Boy Who Lived didn't have much of a love-life, so Cedric planned to take things nice and slow and let Harry adjust at his own pace. 

"I'd like that. Once the weather warms up, I think that would be a nice break from worrying about the tournament and everything else."

"Then it's a date."

* * *

Unfortunately it seemed as though the world had other plans, because before they got the chance to set a date all the champions were called down to the quidditch pitch and told that it would be transformed into a giant maze for the third task. Cedric clearly wasn't happy about the destruction of the field and neither was he, but Harry was mostly worried about being forced to navigate a maze. With the previous two tasks there was a certain level of skill and strategy involved- some techniques undeniably worked better than others- but when it came to going through a maze it was all up to chance. On top of that there were obstacles, and likely some less-than-pleasant creatures provided by Hagrid.

As he and Cedric turned to go back to the castle, Bagman approaching to undoubtedly try to secretly offer him more advice, he was surprised to feel someone completely different tap his shoulder.

"Viktor, er, hello."

"Could I speak vith you?"

"..Alright." Harry sent a confused, mildly apologetic look to Cedric, who merely waved a hand and said he'd meet him back at the castle. 

After an awkward conversation with Krum in which he had to explain that, no, there had never been anything between him and Hermione and that he was quite happy in his budding relationship with Cedric, Harry was surprised by Krum's compliment on his flying. Harry would have thoroughly enjoyed the chance to talk and possibly share tips with the athlete, but yet again the world seemed to have other plans for him. Between Crouch's mad ravings, Snape's attitude, and Hagrid's sour mood, Harry was ready to just call it a night. He told Ron and Hermione what had happened and decided to also inform Cedric in the morning- if a crazed judge was running around in the woods, he didn't want Cedric to be put at risk due to lack of information. For the time being, though, he was just ready to sleep and temporarily forget all of the madness that he was being dragged into yet again.


	11. Official

Harry just wanted one quiet year at school with nothing dire going on, was that really too much to ask? Competing in a tournament he shouldn't have had any part in was one thing, but dealing with Death Eaters, mysterious disappearances, loony missing judges, and everything else was more than any 14-year-old should reasonably be expected to cope with. Ron and Hermione were doing their best to help him, of course, but they were really no more equipped than he was. Harry supposed he should appreciate the one positive development caused by his involuntary involvement, though- Cedric. Sure, there was always the chance that he and Cedric would have gotten to know each other through other means like quidditch, but it was rather unlikely that they would have become as close as they were if not for working together. Spending time with the older boy was one of the few things Harry genuinely looked forward to each week, and one of the largest sources of his motivation. 

No matter how much he enjoyed his time with Cedric, it didn't mean that Harry's stress would cut him a break while they were together. 

"...so, lumos and impedementa are... Harry, are you alright? You seem a bit distracted lately, is something on your mind?" The soothing, supportive tone in Cedric's voice drew Harry back to the present and the younger student felt his face warm in embarrassment. They were supposed to be thinking of basic spells they might need for the third task, but he had zoned right out.

"Yeah, I'm okay, sorry. There's just.. a lot going on right now, you know?" 

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

That was the million-dollar question, now wasn't it? He did want to talk about it, very much so. He wanted to get it all off his chest, he hated keeping secrets from Cedric when they had agreed to tell each other anything important. What could he really say, though? He couldn't tell anyone about what he knew about Neville's parents, he couldn't tell Cedric about Sirius without putting him at risk, and he didn't want to worry the Hufflepuff with talk about his growing concerns about the whole situation with He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Perhaps Cedric could help with his mildest of worries, though. 

"Maybe. I'm just worried about the next task, I'm sure you are too." Harry shrugged one shoulder as if to dismiss the real reasons for his busy mind and convince himself that it was, in fact, just the tournament. 

Cedric nodded, sounding empathetic as he replied, "I am, it's perfectly normal. I know you probably hear this a lot, but I think you're going to do just fine. Really- considering you're only a fourth year, you've got a pretty good grasp on a lot of spells."

"I've got Hermione to thank for that, but, um.. Thanks, Cedric. It means a lot to hear that from you. If either of us are going to win I think it'll be you, though. You deserve it." 

"We both deserve it, Harry. I'll be just as happy no matter which of us wins." Cedric's look of affection was enough to make Harry feel like melting and all he could do was nod dumbly in return. No one had ever been able to affect him like Cedric, but he found he didn't mind all that much.

* * *

In what felt like no more than a blink of an eye, the morning of the third task had arrived and the champions had all been called to meet with their families. Harry didn't know what to expect- he sincerely doubted the Dursleys had come, but they wouldn't make him go if no one was waiting for him right? The sight of Mrs. Weasley and Bill was a pleasant surprise and he was more than happy to have them there as his family. Harry shot Cedric a smile on his way in, the other Hogwarts champion returning the gesture in kind. After a short chat with his visitors, the trio made their way back towards the door for a brief tour when Cedric's father decided to accost Harry.

"Bet you're not so full of yourself now that Cedric's caught up in points, are you?"

Harry was fully prepared to just ignore him and move on, but before he or Molly had a chance to say anything Cedric stepped in. 

"Dad, go easy on my boyfriend will you?"

Harry was stunned, taking a moment to play with the words in his mind and make sure he heard them correctly. "Boyfriend?" His tone was a mix of surprised and hopeful, the same emotions reflected in his face. 

"That's alright, isn't it? I just thought.." They had never made their relationship anything official before that point, but Harry was as far as possible from being opposed.

"No, no it's perfect. Really." Harry was giddy the rest of the day, even Molly's prodding and uncountable questions couldn't put a damper on his mood.  _Boyfriends._ That one word made Harry feel like everything was completely right. 

 


	12. The Third Task

The champions, once again all gathered in one place, were waiting for the start of the third and final task. Harry and Cedric would being going in at the same time since they were tied for first, but they knew they would have to split up. Harry knew it was unlikely that they would meet up again in the vast maze, so the pair had taken a moment to themselves to wish each other luck after another awkward chat with Bagman. Harry was nervous, rightfully so, but he was definitely more prepared after spending time with Cedric a few days prior. The youngest champion kept running through his list of hexes and spells through his mind, hoping he was prepared for whatever obstacles were within. Cedric had tried to bring him onto a more even playing field with a few sixth-year spells, but the only one that Harry really had any success with was Aguamenti, which he was still rubbish at. So, despite their best efforts, Harry was still underprepared compared to the others. 

"Stay safe, alright?" Cedric's hand was warm on Harry's cheek, his thumb soft as it swiped over the Gryffindor's cheek.

"You too, Ced. Good luck."

"Good luck. I'll see you after I get the trophy."

"Oh you wish, I'm in this to win." The duo snickered and hugged for a few seconds, separating for a moment to share a chaste kiss that left them both a little pinker than before. They linked hands as they walked back to rejoin the others. Harry shared a curt nod with Krum and a gentle smile with Fleur, the four of them turning to face McGonagall as she explained the rescue system. Finally, it was time to get ready to enter the maze. Harry and Cedric exchanged quick, supportive glances as Bagman introduced each of the champions, and then they were off. 

It wasn't long before they split to go down separate paths- even if sticking together would give them an advantage for obstacles, they agreed that there would be a better chance of one of them winning if they split up to search different paths. The maze was dark, looming over Harry and casting shadows that made it impossible to see past the circle of light cast by his wand. He could hear Bagman's whistle as Krum and Fleur entered the maze behind him, pushing the teen to pick up his pace a little more and run faster. The lack of obstacles was off-putting, though. He had been in the maze for what felt like a while but he hadn't run into anything to hinder his path. He was so on-edge that he nearly blasted Cedric, eyes widening at the sight of his smoking robes.

"Are you alright?"

"Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts are enormous- I barely got away, but I'm okay. Keep going!" Just like that, Cedric had disappeared into another path. Harry took a different one, glad that Cedric at least didn't seem hurt. 

A run-in with a bogart and an enchantment that made his world turn upside-down really didn't seem that bad after his run-in with the Skrewt. He was just glad that Cedric had warned him away from them the first time, he might not have been so lucky if he'd had to face the creatures twice. Fleur was down as well, and with no sign of anyone else shooting up red sparks it meant that the odds were even better in his and Cedric's favour. 

Just as Harry was starting to get his bearings again, he heard a confrontation between Cedric and Krum through the hedge. The sounds of Cedric's screams and the knowledge that Krum was torturing him with no hesitation made Harry's blood run as cold as ice. He forced his way through the barrier and stupefied Krum without a second thought, rushing over to his boyfriend.

"Cedric- are you alright?" Harry said, voice strained from worry. He couldn't get the sight of Cedric convulsing and screaming out of his mind, it was awful. 

"Yeah, y-yeah, I just can't believe Krum would do something like that."

"Neither can I, he seemed like an alright guy.. We should send up some sparks for him, or a Skrewt might eat him."

"He'd deserve it." Despite his words and slightly bitter tone, Cedric raised his wand to send up a shower of red sparks over Krum's body. The remaining champions stood a few feet away, each with an arm around each other. Finally, after a short while, Cedric broke the silence. "It's just us, now. No matter what, Hogwarts wins the cup."

"That's good- should we split up, so that either of us could win?" Harry didn't want to leave Cedric, not after that, but he knew that there was no risk of the same thing happening again now that there were no other people in the maze. 

"I think that would be best- and the winner can buy lunch on our next date, how's that sound?" 

Harry nodded to agree, taking a deep breath to settle his nerves again. With a light squeeze they let go and parted ways again.

The Sphinx was only a minor delay, really. Just as Harry saw the light of the cup ahead of him, Cedric came in to view as well. The older teen had longer legs and was getting farther ahead, but he didn't seem to see the large, dark figure looming above.

"Cedric, look out!"

The fight with the spider was a blur or fear, stress and pain. Harry's leg had taken quite the beating and it was all he could do to prop himself against the hedge to keep weight off of it.

"Harry, are you okay? Your leg.." Cedric was almost at the cup, but instead of claiming it for himself the Hufflepuff was turned to look at him. 

"I'll be fine- go get the cup, it's right there."

"You should be the one to win, Harry. You've saved me twice already in here." Cedric had started to walk towards him, getting farther from the cup with each step.

"I'm not going to win anything with this leg. End it for the both of us, win it for Hogwarts. You'll just owe me one hell of a lunch." Harry was confused when Cedric wrapped an arm around him, pulling Harry away from the hedge and forcing the younger boy to lean on him. "Really, Cedric, it's fine. Just leave me here, someone'll come get me." Cedric seemed to ignore his words, making Harry either limp along or be dragged. At the same time, the older teen was careful to not jostle Harry's bad leg. Once they were in front of the cup, Cedric looked down at him with a fond, determined smile.

"Both of us can win this."

"Together?"

"Together."

On the count of three, they both reached out for the cup. Harry didn't notice Cedric pause his hand at the last second, a mere centimetre from the other handle, he didn't notice Cedric's fond smile as he took the cup on his own, and he didn't notice how that fond smile turned into a look of horror as Harry was ripped from his arms by the cup-turned-portkey. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end of this story, folks! There is only one more chapter planned after this, but I will hopefully be starting the sequel shortly after Together is finished.


	13. Reunion and Farewell

"Where are we?" Harry pushed himself up to sit on the grass from where he'd fallen after his bad leg gave out. "Cedric?" The fourth year looked over his shoulder in confusion when he received no answer, freezing when he noticed the distinct lack of a certain Hufflepuff. Where had he gone? Had Cedric known that the cup was a portkey? He doubted it, the older teen would have told him. It was a bit of a struggle but Harry staggered to his feet, favouring his injured side as he took in his surroundings.

It seemed as though he'd been transported to a graveyard somewhere. He must be miles away from Hogwarts at least, because he couldn't see anything familiar on the horizon. Perhaps it was just the eery setting, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him and he drew his wand to try and reassure himself. It wasn't long before he heard the soft crunch of grass being trodden on and he squinted into the darkness to see the vague shape of a figure approaching. The figure was short and appeared to be holding a bundle of some sort, but Harry didn't get the chance to see any details before his head exploded in pain. His world went tipsy and he vaguely recognized the feeling of falling to his knees and retching before the pain subsided enough that he could look around again. 

Wherever Cedric was, Harry could only hope that he was safe. Nothing else mattered to him more.

The ensuing struggle and duel was the most difficult thing Harry had faced in his short time as a student at Hogwarts. His mother and father, along with the others ghosts of Voldemort's prior victims, shielded him as he ran. Before any of the Death Eaters around him had a chance to react, he had dove at the silver cup and gripped one of the handles. With a familiar tug in his gut, he was whisked away. 

Harry was felt his body slam into the ground upon arrival, but he didn't bother moving. He was exhausted, his mind was swimming, and he felt numb aside from the burning ache in his forehead. So, in a desperate attempt to not succumb to the darkness threatening to overtake his mind, he simply clutched the smooth metal in his hand a bit tighter. The first voice he heard was the one he had wanted the most- Cedric.

"Harry! Oh, Merlin, Harry- please,  _please._ " Harry felt himself be pulled into a pair of warm arms, dropping the cup in favour of blindly circling his arms around Cedric in return. "I should have been there with you, I'm so sorry, we should have gone together.."

A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see Dumbledore looming overhead, but his eyes refused to properly focus on him. 

"He's back. Voldemort's back." It took most of his effort to force himself to whisper that out, and he felt Cedric stiffen against him at the name. 

There was a flurry of words around him, someone kept insisting he needed to go to the medical wing, Dumbledore was saying he needed to stay, and Cedric was murmuring what Harry could only assume was a blend of apologies and reassurance. He didn't have the energy to respond or focus on any one conversation, on the brink of passing out on Cedric then and there. When someone much stronger than either he or Cedric lifted him out of the latter's arms, both resisted a little. Harry didn't have enough energy to do much, though, and Cedric seemed quelled by a few words, so the person must have some sort of authority.

The next day or so- at least, Harry thought it was only a day- was a jumble. The revelation that Moody wasn't really Moody was the worst part of it, for sure. Partly because, of the entire experience, it was the only time Cedric wasn't with him, The entire time he was in the medical wing, despite everything that happened, Cedric stayed by his side. Neither the fuss from Fudge or the revelation that his dog was really a wanted criminal was enough to even make Cedric pull away from his bedside. No one, aside from a few Slytherins, said anything when the Hufflepuff sat with him during meals for the next week, either. Everyone was willing to grant him that small bit of comfort without hassle after what had happened. 

* * *

 After saying his goodbyes to the Weasleys, Harry felt the usual dread that came with returning to the Dursleys. Before he could reach them, though, his favourite sound rang out.

"Harry, wait up a moment!" It was Cedric, jogging up to meet him. The taller of the two hugged Harry for a moment before pulling back to hold him by the shoulders. "You'll write over the summer, yeah?" 

"Of course I will." Harry grinned at him, placing a hand over one of Cedric's. "Lots- every day, if I have to. I might be going to the bur- er, the Weasley's place, so maybe we'll be able to meet up in person too." 

"Oh, that would be perfect. Your birthday's during the summer, right? I'll make sure to send you something."

"Come along, boy, we haven't got all day!" Harry winced at the booming voice of his uncle, huffing as the trio approached. "And who is this?" 

"It's probably his boyfriend." The mockery in Dudley's voice was clear to anyone in a twenty foot radius, and the disgust on Vernon's face at the idea gave Harry an idea.

"Actually, he is." With a quick smirk, Harry reached up on his toes to peck Cedric on the lips. "Is that a problem?" None of the Dursleys said anything, but their faces were priceless. Vernon went red and Dudley white, and Aunt Petunia looked positively faint. For good measure, the pair exchanged one more quick kiss before parting. "See you around, Ced."

"You too, Harry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally planned for this to be posted a week after the last chapter, but as I was writing it I realized that there's not much I can write without just rephrasing entire chapters of the book and I had to cut out complete scenes that relied on Cedric's death, so it ended up short and rather unsatisfying. I finally decided to add a little scene between our lovebirds as a nicer conclusion, but I'm sorry if anyone was expecting a big finale! I'll be posting a few drawings based on this story to my tumblr if anyone is interested, and then I'll start the sequel!


End file.
